Jamie Squire - Getty Images
5 months ago: HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 07: Running back Arian Foster #23 of the Houston Texans is knocked down by defensive lineman Frostee Rucker #92 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter during their 2012 AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Reliant Stadium on January 7, 2012 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
An unnamed source has informed us at Cincy Jungle that the Cincinnati Bengals have offered new contracts to two defensive linemen who are set to become unrestricted free agents: Frostee Rucker and Jonathan Fanene.
Both Rucker and Fanene were major parts of the team's defensive line which was the strength of the team in 2011. Fanene rotated in on the defensive line in certain situations and finished the regular season with 24 tackles and 6.5 sacks, which was second on the team after Geno Atkins' 7.5 sacks. During the post season, Fanene was tied with Thomas Howard and Reggie Nelson for the most tackles with six.
Rucker took over the starting job at defensive end for Michael Johnson in Week 6 and started every game for the rest of the season. He finished seventh on the team in tackles by the end of the regular season with 44 and finished the season with four sacks.
Both Rucker and Fanene would help the Bengals in 2012 and if they aren't re-signed early they will both likely receive offers from several teams around the league.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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0 recs | 67 comments
Awesome
Tampa_Bengal - February 16, 2012
Good
Now I need to see that they’ve accepted the extensions :)
dqniel - February 16, 2012
Good to hear
I just hope the offers are substantial enough to resist their temptations to test the open market for better offers.
Awesome that CJ has “sources” btw. Truly breaking news. Hoping for signatures soon.
The_Black_Stripes - February 16, 2012
Oh we’ve had sources, my man. lol
Joe Goodberry - February 16, 2012 via Android app
+1
Keep giving us the goods
The_Black_Stripes - February 16, 2012
With all the Cap money they have...
I wouldn’t be surprised if they offered both really good deals to ensure their re-signing.
Joe Goodberry - February 16, 2012 via Android app
what would you consider a reasonable good deal for them?
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
3-4 years each. Rucker at $4m a year (4 year – $16m). Fanene at $3m a year (3 year $9m). I think those would be fair, but to ensure their signings, you might offer slightly more.
Joe Goodberry - February 16, 2012 via Android app
actually i was thinking the same thing
its almost standard to offer a veteran player a base of 3 or 4 million, which i think is fair for both players even tho they don’t start. But with they way our line plays, they get more time than normal back ups.
If anything I would offer Fanene more than Rucker, just because I think he is more athletic and had more impact plays.
But yea, we got to keep the team chemistry going with our core players as much as we can!
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
Well, Rucker is considered a starter, so he’d ask for more.
Joe Goodberry - February 16, 2012 via Android app
on the bengals roster or on a different team?
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
He started over MJ at the end of the year.
Cry - February 16, 2012
Those numbers sound right. I would even offer both ~$5M signing bonus in order to further induce them to re-sign now.
That gives the players the guaranteed money that they (and their agents) most certainly want. It also gives the Bengals more cap room in the first couple of years of the contracts (if they want) because of pro-rating the bonus over the life of the contract (again, assuming that the first couple of years’ base salary are reduced to offset the signing bous) . In other words, a solid, 4- year/$16M offer, with a $5M signing bonus could result in a lower cap hit in the first two years than if the contract contains no signing bonus and is just averaged out.
I like your proposed deals to Frostee and Fanene
The_Black_Stripes - February 16, 2012
IDK about signing bonuses that big for role, back up players
you still have to put the cheese on the string in front of them. I would offer reasonable incentives that pay out good money in their contracts. Save the signing bonuses for the bigger FAs. IMO
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
Since they are looking at backup positions
I don’t think performance incentives would look that good to them. I guess it really depends on what they are but nothing would help keep them than guaranteed money.
Bigcatdaddy - February 16, 2012 via Android app
true, but thats what I meant, make the incentives reasonable to where they can make the same kind of money
at least we know they will have to preform. And not feel comfortable enough to take plays off or what not.
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
Yep. Hold point to get them to sign now is to offer really good (yet reasonable) guaranteed money money
Signing bonus is one way to do that. Plus, the pro-rating factor helps with the cap.
The_Black_Stripes - February 16, 2012
*whole point, not hold point
The_Black_Stripes - February 16, 2012
Sure, but incentives are not still not guaranteed, meaning the player still does not have guaranteed money.
The signing bonus is guaranteed money, right off the bat. And it’s taken tight off the top of the overall $16M, so it’s not in addition to the $16M. Frostee will still earn $16M over the course of the (very good hypothetical) deal (assuming he doesn’t get cut along the way, because, again, NFL contracts are not guaranteed, even under the new CBA).
The signing bonus – literally being a $5M check – is the guaranteed money. It just induces the player to sign now (I.e. “Here’s a $5M check, Frostee!” – which, btw, would be 4 times what he earned last year; more than enough inducement to re-sign IMO ) so that they have the guaranteed money. Plus, it helps teams with the cap when they can pro-rate the bonus.
The_Black_Stripes - February 16, 2012
If we want to keep the players and keep doing what we are doing on the DLine
we’re going to have to pay them… or else someone else will.
Oregonbengalsfan - February 16, 2012
Really good news to hear
Jack Cassidy - February 16, 2012
Why would they sign now?
It’s great they offered – but why wouldn’t these guys wait a few weeks to see if they can get a better offer and see what the market is?
If Bengals pull their offer it would only piss them off and make them not want to sign
TX Bengal - February 16, 2012
They might actually want to stay with the team...
Imagine that lol!!! The Bengals are just showing them that they are wanted, nothing wrong with it. If they take the offer good if not at least they know what the offer is once they test the market…
Dwight Carter - February 16, 2012
True - at minimum gesture of good faith
TX Bengal - February 17, 2012
Yep, can't hurt to put it out there early.
Cincy gave them chances to show what they can do and it took some time, but they finally earned a nice bump. I hope they both take it so we can really see what they’re full potential is. Good, versatile pieces to our D line, hope we keep ’em both.
The Van Buren Boys - February 17, 2012
Restricted free agents
I thought if we had a offer into a restricted free agent,other teams have to match that or better,and if the player
leave’s we would get somekind of pick out of the deal?
keithp - February 17, 2012
What about Simms...
Ruckers starting at end RE could be a nasty looking Defensive front… Ruckers, Atkins, Peko, and Dunlap!!! Good news…
Dwight Carter - February 16, 2012
simms will get a good deal, but he will have more options in FA, so there is a better chance he doesn't resign with us
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
Reedy
Tweeted a few weeks ago that they offered a deal but Sims is testing the market.
Joe Goodberry - February 16, 2012 via Android app
makes sense, Simms has a very good arguement to make to any team looking for a solid player
lol he just has to show the numbers on run defense from when he played vs when he got put on IR.
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
I want Simms to stay
But out of the 3 he’s probably the one easiest to replace. The othe 2 are tweeners and give a little bit of both when it comes to stopping the run and pass. Simms is just a huge run stopper and we can find a replacement via FA or the draft. Hopefully these guys realize that their a whole lot better as a unite but money talks the loudest with some people. If he does leave and the other 2 decide to stay the next man in should Love what he’s coming into.
Bigcatdaddy - February 16, 2012 via Android app
i agree, but at the same time, he is more of a sure thing in regards to production
If we can keep great! And I really hope we can, but if not, next man up!
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
What numbers?
dqniel - February 16, 2012
average rushing yards per game from the opponent
AMAS85 - February 16, 2012
Yeah Sims is a massive man
He and Peko really anchored that run D.
whodeycommish14 - February 16, 2012 via mobile
I love this.
They’re both going to test, but the organization is just showing them that they’re wanted. With as much money as we have for the next two offseasons, let’s keep our defensive line entact and build out o-line around our young offensive skilled positions.
whodeycommish14 - February 16, 2012 via mobile
Keep up the great work CincyJungle writers
Whether it be FA or Draft talk, you guys are on it. Thanks a lot Jason. Appreciate the insider info. Thanks guys. You’re all great!!
whodeycommish14 - February 16, 2012 via mobile
+1
Dwight Carter - February 16, 2012
sims is probably gone
He is a starter elsewhere and will get paid like it, he will only get rotation money here.
JCompton41 - February 16, 2012 via mobile
Hopefully your source isn't named Brian Patteriona :)
emeybee - February 16, 2012
Is that @BengalsFever? Is he real?
But, No. He isn’t the source lol.
Joe Goodberry - February 16, 2012 via Android app
I don't know what he's going by now...
…but he was the guy posting as “Bengals Insider” all over bengals.com and his own site last offeason. And he’s full of crap.
emeybee - February 16, 2012
Just went to his site to see what was new over there
and it says “This board has no forums”. Everything is gone…
Oregonbengalsfan - February 16, 2012
I don't even get it..
He puts so much time and effort into crafting his scoops. Claiming to know all about the inner workings of the organization. What kind of person does that for the sake of a hoax?
Cry - February 16, 2012
Someone who wants attention?
Back during the brief second I thought he was legit last year I offered to host his site/forums for him for free, because he was said the Bengals got his provider to turn his site off. He said yeah, so I got all his old posts from Google cache and put it all on my site. He never got back in touch. Instead he switched from one free host to another and every time he moved he kept claiming the Bengals were shutting him down. It was all an act to hide his old, disproven “scoops”. This was after he’d used up his first excuse (that the Bengals were spreading false info around the team to try to identify the “leak”). Not one of his sccops has been right, and most have been completely, hilariously wrong. So theres no doubt in my kind that he’s a complete and utter fraud. Now whether he’s crazy and delusional or a liar starved for attention is for you to decide.
emeybee - February 17, 2012 via mobile
Yes that's @BengalFever
Oregonbengalsfan - February 16, 2012
And his last tweet was 19 days ago
Yet no updates ever posted and now there are no posts whatsoever on the site.
Oregonbengalsfan - February 16, 2012
DO NOT TRUST THIS GUY
Brian Patteriona @BengalsFever
Makes all this stuff up! He is wrong MUCHHHHH more than he is right. In fact ive never seen him correctly predict something.
Last year he said Marvin wouldnt be back, He said bratkowski WOULD be re-signed, He said we were drafting Patrick Peterson, He said rey wasnt moving to Middle Linebacker, he said dhani was staying, he said so many other false things as well.
Even if he isnt the source this is probably false, theres no reason bengals.com wouldnt post this. Plus Joe reedy would have mentioned it.
Dont just go posting info from sources with no credibility, it brings down the credibility of this site.
AceRockefellar - February 17, 2012
How do you know that the source they have isn't credible?
Cry - February 17, 2012
Just because I post something that someone says
doesn’t bring down the credibility of this site. Hey it’s information, whether false or true, that is out there. I have already determined to just read the “info” he provides and really take nothing from it. I don’t post something and say “Hey this is from a credible source!”, I’ll usually say something along the lines of “Hey this is what this guy, whom we have determined to have almost no credibility, posted…”
But anyway, my main point of posting that was just adding to what has already been said and that his site is empty.
Oregonbengalsfan - February 17, 2012
Disagree
(Though I should first point out that I am not doubting Cincy Jungles source, and was joking about it being Patteriona)
To confine to spread Patteriona’s information with even a hint that it might be true is dangerous. For instance, he was the one who said a bunch of Bengals were involved in Jerome’s drug issues. It quickly went from “Brian said…” to “some guy said…” to “I heard…” to people assuming it was true. So now there’s a bunch of people who think the Bengals had a drug ring going when it was really one idiot WR.
Not to mention, if his (completely false) rumors about free agents, draft picks, etc. get spread around and end up in the media they have the potential to really caused problems for the team and the players when it comes to negotiations and the draft.
He’s bogus, full of crap and has NEVER been right. Read his posts for a chuckle if you want, but I would be careful about spreading his garbage any further than his own site, disclaimer or not.
emeybee - February 17, 2012 via mobile
Sorry for being a grammatical idiot
Damn phone. Confine = continue and there are several other typos.
emeybee - February 17, 2012 via mobile
Exactly
I dont know if your “source” is credible or not. But make him prove himself over and over again before you post it.
This site is great but In the beggining this site was a huge biased rumor mill, and was a terrible site.
Yes if you post things that someone says and they turn out to be wrong. That is EXACTLY how you burn your credibility and the credibility of the site.
AceRockefellar - February 17, 2012
He isn't MY source
It’s out there, it’s on the web. I NEVER said it was true. It’s not like I’m writing an article saying, “This source says this”. I making a comment “Look at what this guy is saying now”
Not doing any damage whatsoever to the credibility of this site.
Oregonbengalsfan - February 17, 2012
Look at what this guy is saying, haha
is different than, Sources say yada yada
Oregonbengalsfan - February 17, 2012
I still disagree
but to each his own.
emeybee - February 17, 2012
LOL
Ooooo….k
Oregonbengalsfan - February 17, 2012
Sounds like you are taking such a strong stance on this
because you were burnt by him
Oregonbengalsfan - February 17, 2012
How was I burnt by him?
I offered to do him a favor, I could care less if he took me up on it. It actually saves me the space and traffic on my server that he didn’t. I just mentioned it because it gave me an extra angle to see his BS. He was claiming he had nowhere to host his site when it was an outright lie. He was intentionally taking his different sites down to hide his old, disproven posts.
My issue, like I said, is that his “scoops” have the potential to be harmful to the team. How would you feel if you were one of the Bengals players who managed to keep his nose clean and suddenly suspicion surrounds you because this idiot says Jerome is going to testify against a DE and 6 other players are involved in a drug ring? Or what if the team wants to negotiate with B.Scott, but he reads that “someone” says the team wants to show him the door?
You posting his info, saying “look at what this guy said…” may be innocuous, but what happens when someone emails that to his buddy and then that guy emails it to his brother, and so on, and your disclaimer gets lost? That’s pretty much exactly what happened with the “7 player drug ring” story.
This guy has been proven wrong over and over, I just don’t understand why you would want to quote him at all. You might as well just post that your cousin says that the Pats are going to fire Belichek and hire Zimmer— it would have as much basis in reality as anything Patteriona says.
emeybee - February 17, 2012
...Why are you all even arguing about this?
I don’t see why this argument even matters? The guy hasn’t posted in 19 days, he made tons of false accusations, and none of the bengals players read these comments nor do any of these comments on here get to any part of the Bengals organization or staff. So, it is a pointless argument.
joecincy07 - February 17, 2012
I didn't realize we were arguing
If you read any anger or irritation in my post it was completely unintentional, I was just explaining my point of view.
Regardless, this post scrolled off the front page several hours ago, so I don’t think it’s really bothering anyone either way.
And for the record— that “Bengals drug ring” rumor DID spread, to the point where Reedy even addressed it.
emeybee - February 17, 2012
Just my point being that
I am in no way harming the credibility of this site by saying, “Look what this guy is now saying”
Oregonbengalsfan - February 17, 2012
chaps, is there any chance
The bengals make an offer to Stanford Routt today?
If we can address OG and CB before the draft cincy can sit back and go BPA all draft and juat amass new weapons all over the board
Gold Star Chili Cheese Fries - February 17, 2012 via mobile
That would be nice =)!
we’d still need to get young at both positions though… We currently only have one OG, 2 CB’s, and 1 RB…Got to get depth at all 3 of those positions no matter what they do in free agency…
Dwight Carter - February 17, 2012
Great news....glad to hear we're getting after this now!
The Van Buren Boys - February 17, 2012
BPA?
Yes… Now that would be smart to address all of our player needs in free agency, and shop BPA throughout the draft. WOW! and maybe even swing a few trades in between? WHODEY!
Makebelieve - February 17, 2012 via mobile
Cheers!
here’s to all the GREAT Cincy Jungle writers! …Well done! …WHODEY!
Makebelieve - February 17, 2012 via mobile
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